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Archive for May, 2013

It is quite some time since I’ve attempted the Pete Plan speed pyramid session, but it can be quite a good reintroduction to faster interval training. Mentally as the rep lengths change each time, the intervals between reps are pretty generous (long), and after half way it gets shorter rep to rep, it is much easier than single distance rep lengths. In the PP the speed intervals are all about quality of pacing. As they are just once a week sessions, the absolute pace is the important part when prepping for a 2k (or for this aspect of general training), and so the rest periods on each session are long enough to allow this. Those of you who read my blog will notice that often when I’ve not been doing much speed work I will actually start off with shorter rest periods between reps on this type of session. This is because I simply don’t have the speed, and a longer rest interval will make no difference to that.

So today it was a “by the book” PP speed intervals sessions. Standard rest periods, standard pacing plan. This means that the pace should be constant on the way up the pyramid, then negative split rep to rep on the way back down. I chose 1:37 as a pace I wanted to stick under on the way up, as I estimated this is about where my 2k would be right now.

It seems like months since I did an interval session, so it probably is. I had to leave work early to get some vaccinations ready for a work trip to India at the end of next week, so was home slightly early and took the opportunity to train. 500m reps seemed like a good plan, and rather than the standard PP 5k format of 12 reps with 1min rest as I’ve done a couple of times earlier this year I thought as I’ve been giving other people 15 reps on this session I’d best do the same.

So the general format here is that the total session distance is 1.5 times the target distance that the session is aimed at (5k). The rest periods I’ve been assigning other people on these are 1min for 500m reps, 1:20 for 600s, 1:40 for 750s and 2min for 1k reps. The idea is to do reps to equal 7500m in total, or as close under that as possible (not over). So 12 x 600m, 10 x 750m and 7 x 1k for the other 3 sessions in the sequence.

I just aimed for consistency today, not trying to neg split or to push hard in the final rep. Of course I was annoyed with number 13 to see the split change to 1:40.0 at the end with a poorly timed final stroke!

Despite not blogging for a while, I am still training. Life continues to be busy, so there is not a great variety in my training to write about, I’m just getting it done to keep fit and get fitter. I am enjoying alternating days of running and rowing at the moment. I don’t really enjoy running, but I do think that it is a useful skill to have. And the more I do it, the easier it gets, and therefore the less I hate doing it! What I do enjoy about it, though, is doing an activity with no data – I don’t wear a watch, so don’t measure distance, time or speed. I just go out of the back door, run for about 8k around a cross country loop, and eventually get back home. With no data it means I have no targets, and therefore I find it as easier activity for days when I get home from work and don’t really feel like training.

Erging wise, because time is somewhat lacking my current favorite session is a 10k split up as 8k steady (or at least not hard, it can be slightly negative split, or constant paced) followed by a fast last 2k. Here was today’s effort:

You will notice a theme here, again not a difficult session mentally to go into when you’re cruising 80% of the distance. But these sessions are doing their job, and I am working hard for that final 2k. This session is very time efficient – no warm up needed, no rest periods between reps that take time, and a good solid period of hard work in the final 2k.